A 54-year-old Sheboygan woman was shopping in the 1800 block of North Eighth Street. When she went to her car, a man approached her from behind, grabbed her purse and knocked her to the ground, then ran.

A 55-year-old Sheboygan man driving on Eighth Street followed the purse snatcher, first in his car, then on foot. He found the suspect in a backyard on Lincoln Avenue, tackled him and held him until officers arrived, police said.

The Sheboygan Police Department called the witness's actions "both decisive and courageous."

The suspect, a 28-year-old Sheboygan man, has a rap sheet for robbery and substantial battery, as well as drug offenses, police said.

Police are investigating whether he was involved in other incidents.

On March 29, a man pushed a 48-year-old woman against her car as he stole her purse outside Walgreens on 14th Street. The thief ran away, police said.

On March 31, a 50-year-old woman was knocked to the ground by a man who took her purse outside Aurora Superior Pharmacy on Superior Avenue, and the man ran away.

In this latest theft, the victim suffered injuries to an arm and leg but she declined immediate medical attention.